Thursday, July 14, 2011

Weekend What's What 7/14-7/17

HITTIN' THE STREETS

This weekend let your streetwise side shine at any number of outdoor music parties and festivals. From jazz to experimental to electronic to family-friendly fun in the sun, you've got your work cut out for you (though we're definitely not opposed to the conceal and carry when it comes to liquid refreshment "on the job"). Pop on some short-shorts and party hop to your heart's content, just don't forget the sunblock!

The LOL/OMG Social Media Meetup is back at the 331 Club for its next installment, and our sister blog has crafted an awesome lineup for the occasion that will blow minds and ear drums. Socialize with your Twitter/Facebook/Foursquar​e/etc friends IRL, drink some cheap dranks, nerd out, shamelessly hit on people, whatever...just be sure to tweet it so we can LOL/OMG you later! Featuring The Rope and Mayda! Official hashtag: #LOLOMG

At risk of writing off another fine local collaboration as a “supergroup,” we feel the need to mention that The Cloak Ox, headlining Thursday at the Turf Club, is what happened when Andrew Broder (of Fog), Martin Dosh, Jeremy Ylvisaker (of Alpha Consumer), and Mark Erickson (also of Fog) got together and started making some (really awesome) noise. And at risk of making a supergroup generalization, we feel the need to say: see ‘em while they’re hot. Joining the band are the rhythmic and reverb-y Brute Heart, Votel, and the BombsPartySquad DJs, moonlighting as P.O.S. and the Marijuana Deathsquads.

Jeff Hamada, a Vancouver based artist, originally created Booooooom in hopes of fostering a community of people excited to go out and be creative. Little did he know that his idea would quickly become one of most popular art blogs on the internet. Booooooom acts as a grand art archive, displaying an endless array of creative conceptions. Imagine a joint collaboration of art, design, photos, music, film and any inspired project your heart desires. With over 3.2 million page views each month and a worldwide audience, it is no wonder that Booooooom is an innovative phenomenon. Hop on the creativity train and use this site as your inspiration go-to. We do!

The Highland Business Association’s annual something-for-everyone fest is turning 44 years old this year, and they certainly have a festive lineup of activities planned. Over three days, you can take your pick of pasttimes: the mainstage at the Hillcrest Rec Center features entertainment from headliners Sell Out Stereo on Friday, Rocket Club on Saturday, and Power of 10 on Sunday, with a steady list of talented supporting acts, as well as fireworks after the music on Friday and Saturday. Other activities include mass bingo (in the beer tent, obvs), Highland Water Tower tours, the Highland Fest 5k, the Strongman Competition, and water wars, plus an Art Fair, a Business Fair, and a Home Improvement Expo. On Saturday, there’s the Beer Dabbler—where you can sample over 65 craft and micro brews whilst enjoying sounds from stellar local musicians on two stages, including tunes from the always entertaining 4onthefloor, Maudlin, and Pictures of Then (it’s practically a festival on its own!). Let’s not leave the kiddos out, either: there will be games and rides, as well as a Costume Kid’s Parade, face painting, a petting zoo and pony rides—enough to make you wish you were a young’un, until, of course, you remember all that other stuff you get to enjoy as an adult.

Tonight, don't miss a free performance from a couple of local hip-hop's powerhouse scene hailers, Doomtree's Sims and Bight Club. Hot on the heels of a new album, Sims' Bad Time Zoo is teeming with “urban wilderness,” wrecking-ball choruses and darkly clever life avouchments. Electronic-rap duo Bight Club – aka Jeremy Nutzman (Spyder Baybie) and Tony Rabiola – define the underground hip-hop scene with their “electro-orgy” tracks and bursts of soul-centered harmony. See you there!

We know you've always secretly wanted to be a rapper. Come on! The guts? The glory? The bling? Well, look no further than the Turf Club to fulfill your rough n' tough word spoutin' aspirations. Tonight, catch a special freestyle rap show featuring garage dadaist, Larry Wish, Chocolate Chip and you! Yes, the projection project camera's of Chat Roulette will be pirouetting around the stage and the club searching for the next brave soul willing to lay a few impromptu lyrical gems down. Everyone's a star!

Local songstress Bethany Larson is releasing her sophomore album Friday, titled When We Reach the City, but fans of her first have something new to buzz about: her backing band, The Bee’s Knees, featuring her big bro on backup vocals. A little bit Lucinda Williams with an edge, songs of love and heartbreak both lull and kick up a little dust, with an air of sophistication and familiarity to round things out. Exactly the kind of music you want to reverberate off the Chat Noir posters and mounted antlers at the Kitty Cat Klub. Joining the band at their CD Release show are snazzy locals Mayda and Adam Svec. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of When We Reach the City for the reduced price of $8--it is a CD release show after all.

The bands of Friday’s Music in the Zoo lineup are connected by more than just a city of origin (good ‘ol Minneapolis): Chris Osgood, guitarist and vocalist of 1970s-formed punk rock trio Suicide Commandos, actually facilitated the get-together of The Suburbs, who later became the first release on the Twin/Tone label. But history lesson aside, the 2000s just don’t make punk and funk like the 70s and 80s did, and this is a pretty rare treat to see some of the forerunners in the Twin Cities punk rock scene (that is, before there was Hüsker Dü, The Replacements, and Soul Asylum) in one place. Here’s hoping the giraffes will appreciate it, too.

This Friday, the Anthem Heart crew is taking over the First Ave Main Room! Get your dance on to Dillion Francis, a much buzzed-about L.A.-based party starter who recently signed to Diplo’s Mad Decent Label. Get Cryphy crewmates Jimmy 2 Times and Plain Ole Bill are set to team up on four turntables for the opening set with Francis and other DJs bringing the jams throughout the evening including Noam the Drummer, The Tribe and Big Cats. As usual, Anthem Heart will be running and simultaneously stealing the show with live t-shirt printing action and pure, unadulterated awesomeness. Add in epic digital visual explosions a la Playatta and your Friday night is set.

We heart mixtapes, so when we stumbled upon this blog from BRIC Arts Design Director, Gigawatt, we were more than thrilled. Not only does artist Gigawatt have supreme taste in music – pairing everyone from David Bowie, Patti Smith and Aesop Rock to The New York Dolls, Human Television and Vincent Gallo – but each perfectly composed mix edition is teamed with a original illustration in Gigawatt's signature wry-lined style. Music + art, the way life should be.

Saxophones and swung notes, polyrhythms and wah-wahs, bebop, hard bop, fusion, smooth, acid, nu, free, M-base, traditionalist, and literally all that jazz awaits you at the Dakota’s annual Street Fest. Swingin’ all day Saturday along Nicollet Mall will be musicians from near, from far, and from all walks of one of America’s (and the rest of the world’s, for that matter) best-loved musical genres. Artists include Latin-influenced Seven Steps to Havana, locals Maud Hixson Quartet, the genre-defying A Love Electric, and Cedric Burnside, grandson of North Mississippi blues legend R.L. Burnside. And since it’s the Midwest, you know there’ll be snacks on a stick galore, as well as kids’ activities, including a parade.

With summer well underway, what better time to take part in a full-fledged trailer park trash pub crawl? This Saturday afternoon dress to impress, meaning, in your trailer trashiest best and be prepared to have a blast! This NE based pub crawl is set to start and end at Grumpy's Northeast, so don your daisy dukes and circle your trailer trash tooshies all around the hood, stopping in at bars such as Jimmy's, Knight Cap, Mayslack's, 331, Shaw's, Gastof's, Stanley's, NE Palace and finally back to Grumpy's. Dress up and pre-organize your ride, if ya know what's good for ya.

Have you always wanted to learn how to supe up your bike or whip a fancy meal together without spending the dough on classes? Enter new collaborative project, The Commons. Soon to be your favorite learning annex, The Commons is set to launch a brand new scheme this Saturday in Powderhorn Park, primed to be a community-based resource “parlor” where DIY tools, education and skills run rampant. So, how does it work? Register for a “Tool Library Card” and you're all set to check out free equipment like bike, carpentry and gardening tools, plus hang out in their metal shop and print studio working on your craft. But before this awesome project can get underway, they need your help! Show up at the park with ideas, tools to lend and funds – if you can donate – and learn more about The Commons plans while sipping down homemade soda, munching on treats and enjoying some tunes. We guarantee whatever you donate will come back to you tenfold!

This Saturday, Clubhouse Jager will play host to Totally Gross National Party, an all-day jam featuring food, booze, and live music galore curated by the masterminds behind such ridiculous musical blowouts as the Gayngs Affilyated Showcase and last year's Loring Alley party. The fine folks at Totally Gross National Product have put together an amazing patio soiree featuring the Cities' hippest and most forward-thinking musicians, including Marijuana Deathsquads, Slapping Purses, Moonstone, Spyder Baybie, JM Airis, Robust Worlds, Radical Cemetery, Votel, FoodTeam, Little Dog On Top Of A Big Dog, and "Col. Angus and the Boner Sharts Pub Band" (LOL) as well as DJs Dic Pick, Ackerman, Mark McGee, and likely special guest appearances (wink). This is one party worth sticking around for, all night long. Totally sponsored by Radio K, yours truly, l'etoile magazine, and Gimme Noise. Food provided by Club Jager, Chowgirls, and American Cream.

We think you need more love in your life! Head down to the Hex tonight to get all cutesy romantic with the Totally Cute International Lovecat Party (perhaps after you hit the Totally Gross National Product Party?). The jam sesh features adorbs summer fun band, electro-sap-pop duo Lovecat (Matt Sandstedt + Allegra Oxborough); the charming Grant Cutler; and the local post-punk band that's being compared to The Legendary Pink Dots, Bollywood. Heavy grooving and/or petting optional.

Acronyms are all the rage these days. How else are you supposed to tweet anything? Which, honestly, is what compelled us to listen to SBTRKT in the first place, though the UK producer – who’s remixed the likes of M.I.A., Mark Ronson, and Basement Jaxx – certainly has the beats to keep us listening (yes, it did occur to us too late to restart this write-up that his name might actually just be a command to Subtract!) A certain farm tool-named music publication suggests SBTRKT’s music is somewhat “post-dubstep,” save that his songs pull from a multiplicity of genres. His latest, self-titled album also brings in a variety of vocalists, including Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano, making his songs not only fun and danceable, but accessible the entire album through. Now all we need is a sweaty, trashy, amp-heavy place to dance to it until six in the morning.

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